Locals to petition against Mole Creek café

By Sharon Webb

MOLE CREEK residents will ask Meander Valley Council to reject a planning application for a new café in the town and already have 75 signatures on a petition.

Mole Creek landowner Denis Durham has lodged a planning application to build a $360,000 butcher shop and café at 42a Pioneer Drive, Mole Creek.

Mr Durham, who owns The Den property on Den Road but lives in Sydney, has lodged the application in concert with an earlier planning application to establish an abattoir on his land.

But Jim Casey, manager of the independent supermarket next door to the proposed butcher/café, said the town’s residents believe there are already enough cafés there.

Mole Creek, population around 200, has three cafés, a pub and a supermarket selling takeaway snacks, as well as another café just out of town.

‘The butcher shop is probably fine, but we believe the café will take business from other family-owned businesses and make them unviable,’ Mr Casey said.

Mr Durham said he wants to establish the abattoir so he can kill animals on his property to reduce their travel stress. He plans to provide high quality meat to tourist venues.

‘I want to make the best beef I can locally,’ Mr Durham said. ‘We want to keep the operation small and boutique – keep it for Tasmanians.

The butcher shop site is currently unused and within the village zone under the planning scheme.

The application includes a shop, kitchen, cool store, covered dining area, car parking and an AWTS waste water system.

The maximum café patrons will be 20 at any one time. Opening hours will likely be 9am to 5pm, 7 days a week.

Because the property is on karst, Mr Durham proposes waste water treatment via an AWTS treatment system rather than a conventional septic system, with waste irrigated on the allotment’s northern area.

No small goods will be made on the property.

Den Road property owner Carol Douglas has signalled she will oppose the proposed abattoir because it would be 300m from her house and within sight, sound and smell

Mrs Douglas has questioned the economic feasibility of a butchery in Mole Creek.